Month: April 2026

Back in the mid-60s and 70s, there were songs like: Papa’s Got a Brand-New Bag (James Brown), You Make Me Feel Brand New (The Stylistics), and Brand-New Key (Melanie Safka.  While a lot of people like new stuff, some don’t like brand new things at all-or at least act like they don’t.  Ever seen in movies when a guy compliments a girl on her new dress and she says something like, “What, this old thing?” 

Ages ago, people didn’t like wearing brand new dungarees, because they were so stiff.  I remember practically walking like John Wayne in them; especially if I also donned new Converse sneakers (footwear also has to be broken in for a comfortable fit).  To avoid the stiffness in jeans, people would wash them immediately before wearing them. Thus, pre-wash jeans were introduced, which raised prices too. 

There’s one thing I’ve never liked about new stuff, actually, a new look.  And that’s when women go to the beauty parlor and get their hair done. It might be cultural, but where I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. You had all these (Hispanic) women return from the salon looking like their heads were wrapped in plastic. They’d return home with hairdos that had received about 3 cans of hairspray.  It’d be shiny and stiff; primarily, when they had beehive hairdos!

Thankfully, my wife has never done that.  Even when her hairdo has undergone “the works,” she’ll say, “I’ll fix it at home.” And she does!  She knows how to make “New” look normal.

But new is good! If we have a new car, we tend to shine it up endlessly. Have a new house?  Like to show it off?  I can understand it.  But for over the top, it’s helpful to think that Jesus is in heaven preparing new homes for us.  They won’t be used, repossessed, from a kit, or worse; come with drawn and unwritten instructions!  Everything will be brand new, including our bodies, our neighbors, and a new earth with new heavens.  Life will be completely different from what it is now.  We’ll have a brand-new start in life, and won’t look like we’re made from plastic either! More importantly, our focus will be on Him, not on us. 

If you’ve ever been in the presence of professionals, you know what it’s like when your best efforts fall short compared to theirs!  Imagine worshipping God with angels! Imagine being in the presence of the Cherubim as they cover their faces before God’s holiness!  We’ll get to see the Seraphim flying with six wings!  Can you imagine?  With 2 wings they cover their feet; with 2 wings they fly, and with 2, they cover their faces as they sing out “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:2,3).  We’ll join them and other beings in worshipping God!  It’ll all be brand new to us!  We’ll have glorious experiences! 

All in all, everything evil, harmful, hurtful and devastating, will be gone!  Sin will be no more, corruption will be gone, death will be gone…temptation, lust and scamming as well!  In this case, new is good!  That’s the Gospel: Good News!

God Bless!
Sam

There are people who love making a grand entrance wherever they go. They want all eyes on them, stares, and jaws dropping as they strut their stuff. To me, they’re like Mr. Big Stuff (Jean Knight) commanding attention and recognition.  More so, it’s like stepping on to the dance floor during the Disco age displaying your outfit and hairdo, as well as your moves (Oh yes, it’s Ladies’ Night and the feeling’s right (Kool & the Gang); Disco Lady (Johnny Taylor); Mondo Disco (El Coco), etc.

Back in the mid-80s we had a “Supervisor” at work like that. It was said he liked to sashay his way around.  After a few minutes of modeling and giving a few instructions, he’d leave and return another day.  No one ever saw him work; much less, work up a sweat.

In general, man, lives under pride.  He loves to gloat, loves attention, and loves to be recognized. Those are all traits inherited from Satan, the liar and father of all lies. They are not traits from Jesus who made His entrance into this world in a most obscure way-born in a manger.  His “home” wasn’t exactly smelling of roses.  He lived unknown until He began His ministry at age 30 (Luke 3:23).

Unlike Jesus, Satan wanted Him to be like himself: (extravagant and attention seeking). He told Jesus ,“Cast yourself from this mountaintop…” (Matthew 4:6) so all could see Him); but that wasn’t Jesus’ MO.  “The pride of life…” (1 John 2:16).

“Jesus came to undo the works of Satan” (1 John 3:8).  Do you “Own the floor?” Are you starving for attention? Must everyone listen to what you have to say? Must you out-perform or outrank everyone for the spotlight? 

NEWSFLASH!!  The dancefloor belongs to only ONE person: JESUS! Although, He’s not the flashy type, He is decked out in glory, light, and surrounded by all types of jewels and majesty (Revelation 4:1-6).  He has all the moves; not dance-wise, but salvation-wise.  He controls EVERYTHING in the entire galaxy.  He rules over the affairs of man.  “Nothing happens without his knowledge” (Matthew 10:29).

After His crucifixion, He descended to depths of the earth to make a grand entrance into hell.  He spoiled the principalities there.  He made a show of them (Colossians 2:15).  After resurrecting, He appeared to many on earth for 40 days.  He made another grand entrance into heaven to the cheers of angels and the glory of the Father.  He reigns in heaven and everything is subject to Him (1Corinthians 15:28).

Soon, Jesus will make an exceptional grand entrance upon earth again!  His entrance will not be as a helpless infant this time, but as mighty warrior coming to bring vengeance upon everyone (Psalm 149:7), and to establish His earthly millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:1-10).  Upon completion, His body, the church, will reign with Him for all eternity. His Grand Entrance will be permanent!

But you don’t have to wait a thousand years! Hey, you don’t have to wait decades or weeks for Him. “Call on him now” and He’ll make a grand entrance right into your life this instant!  He’ll rule and reign over your affairs.  He’ll break darkness and shadows hovering over you.  He’ll heal your aching heart and restore your health.  As an extra measure of His love for you, He’ll throw in eternal life (John 17:3)!

God Bless!
Sam

Ages ago, in the Garden of Eden, Satan, through the snake, tempted Eve, and she and Adam yielded and fell.  That caused a host of demonic beings, which hovered over the atmospheric heavens, to take the opportunity to also flood the earth with their presence.  From that time forth, earth and all of creation lies under a canopy of darkness.  We don’t see it all at once because Jesus, the Light of the World, came to shed His Light on us. 

Today, darkness looms everywhere.  Hordes of demons tread this earth while billions more remain in everlasting chains under darkness awaiting their judgment (Jude 1:8).  Millions of people worship this darkness, while many who don’t, still walk in darkness; alienated from His Light.

During what we know as Holy Week, Satan’s demonic hosts and principalities gathered for their victorious blow to God.  They made sure to be present at the events scheduled.  The religious leaders, bent on rejecting whom they viewed as a false Messiah, became game for the powers of darkness to reign in their affairs. Their zealousness for “righteousness” blinded them from seeing God in their midst as Jesus, the true Messiah.

Satan and his ruling demons were “kept in the dark” of God’s plans. While that darkness cheered for the torturing, disfiguring, and crucifixion of Christ, God knew what it would all mean.  God made sure Satan walked right into His trap. Satan probably danced gleefully, maybe the Cha-Cha-Cha, as each spike was driven into Jesus’ body.  He couldn’t believe it was finally happening! He had tried unsuccessfully many times before, but now it was finally being fulfilled.

As Satan’s hellish hosts celebrated that first and second day, waltzing and boogying, they probably noticed the shock, disbelief, and horror on the faces of everyone around; particularly, Jesus’ followers, friends, and family. However, the third day took an unexpected turn…No one EVER had been tortured, nailed, speared through, dead for three days, and then able to take their own life back conquering Death and returned to life as if nothing ever transpired! That is made clear right here:

“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:18NKJV).

Jesus has power over death!  Suddenly, the tomb was empty and Jesus had resurrected!  Jesus descended to the center of the earth and made a spectacle of Satan and his demons! That’s right, Jesus showed up at Satan’s doorsteps and probably said, “You were saying?”                                           

Unlike Lazarus who died naturally, was brought back to life, but eventually died again, Jesus CONTINUES to live forevermore! 

The world got a glimpse of what goodness over darkness looks like. Jesus set captivity free! He’s broken off every chain of darkness over us! If you’re bound by sin, give your life to God today! Walking in darkness? Clouds and shadows loom above you? The One who rides the clouds will deliver you! The shadow of the cross will help set you free.

Easter is new life.  It’s the celebration of light over darkness through Jesus over Satan.  He has rolled back the darkness in our lives. You can be religious about it; get goosebumps, wipe a tear or two, try to get close to Him and continue life as “normal.” Or you can cry out to Him, whether quietly, in desperation, or exasperation: “SAVE ME JESUS!” That’s all it takes! Angels are standing by!

 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).

Welcome to the Light!

God Bless!
Sam

*By the way, disregard the ridiculous and unimportant debates on “Who really killed Jesus?” Historically, two groups of people were present, Jews and Romans.  But neither group killed Him. Why? Because we all did! His love for us drove Him to the cross for our sins.

Many people are in prisons. Some, behind real bars, and others trapped behind prisons of fear, hopelessness, abuse, drug addictions, anger, hatred, etc. Some prisons hold hardened criminals, while some hold innocent ones.

We know that in some countries people can be placed in dark, dingy cells or worse, in dungeons.  Think about this, “If you’re imprisoned and your government pays off all its debt, does that liberate you from your condition? Does it change your anger, hatred, lust, or other things hidden within your heart? Not at all.  If the leader of the country you’re in gets replaced, does it free you? Same answer, no.

Travel back two thousand years and we’ll find the same situation. Isreal wanted freedom from Roman bondage and control. They sought a messiah to form an army and fight for their freedom. Their liberator would “Show those Romans who’s boss,” they thought and hoped.  If such a liberator came on the scene, they were ready to crown him king and leader of their movement.  But would it have changed their inner battles? Would such a leader erase their anxieties and disdain for the Romans? No!

Even if your financial situation or housing dilemmas improve; if anger management works for you, sin will forever eat away at your life. See, none of the exterior improvements, or internal helps will deal with sin. Sin is ingrained in all humanity from inception and passed on to everyone brought into the world. Here’s a shocker: In God’s eyes, we’re all guilty of sin and deserve death. 

Jesus, in His wisdom, ignored becoming a world-leader and getting crowned as king of His people because His time for that hadn’t arrived. Instead, His plan was to take the blame and sting (death) of sin for every human ever, upon Himself and set humanity free.

If you’ve ever watched a SUPERMAN movie, invariably, he has to fly out to some remote area, namely, space or an ocean, and absorb the impact of a meteor or bomb to save humanity.  That’s what Jesus did for us. Allowing sin to be our companion, would always keep us imprisoned by it-forever.   Jesus absorbed the impact/explosion of sin upon humanity. Israel missed that all-important message. 

Instead, like those playing a game of checkers, waiting to be “Crowned king,” Israel awaited its king and deliverer.  So, are you ready to make anyone your ruler in exchange for freedom?

Every battle we face isn’t about our neighbors or the people living across the street, etc.  it’s not about the government and it isn’t about unfairness. It’s about Satan who works behind lies, unjust practices, and his number one goal: to keep us from being saved.  He doesn’t want us following Jesus; instead, he wants to give us eternal life, with him in the darkness of hell; in the dungeon you might now find yourself in.

Jesus didn’t die in vain! He died to set you free! Claim your salvation now, today! Be set free! Give Satan a swift kick in his buttooshki! Cast him out in the powerful Name of Jesus, King of kings and LORD of Lord! 

How do you know He really loves you?  He wore the crown of thorns you deserved.  He took the nails meant for you. He was pierced on the side for your sake.  He took the shame that was yours and hung naked on a cross for all to see. He died in YOUR place and took your unrighteousness that you might live with HIS righteousness!  Additionally, after rising from the grave, He kept His nail prints and wounds as an eternal reminder of His love for you!  Only Jesus can change us on the inside.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

God Bless!
Sam